Facebook Stock Drops as Feds Expand Cambridge Analytica Probe

Facebook stock took a hit on Tuesday morning on news of an expanding federal investigation into the company’s slow response to the Cambridge Analytica data leak.

Facebook shares were down about two percent to $193. 45 in early morning trading.

The social network is under increasing scrutiny from U.S. regulators, The Washington Post reported on Monday, over the massive data leak. Regulators want to know why Facebook failed to notify its users or investors when it first found out about the leak in 2015 — with the now-defunct political firm grabbing profile info on up to 87 million unwitting users.

Facebook didn’t publicly acknowledge the leak until March of this year, right as the New York Times was about to publish its initial in-depth report. The FBI, SEC, and Federal Trade Commission, according to the Post, have now joined the Department of Justice in its investigation of the matter.

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, speaking in March, said the company “definitely didn’t realize the gravity” of the leak when it first learned about it.

The U.S. regulators are also investigating “discrepancies” in CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s April testimony before Congress, according to The Post.

Facebook took an initial Wall Street beating after the data leak became public, with shares dropping from about $180 a share to $150 a share in the following weeks. But the company has rebounded since then, pushing to a new all-time high last month of more than $200 a share. As Facebook has looked to repair its image, the company has tightened the access apps have to its giant user base.

The U.S. House Intelligence Committee on Thursday released more than 3,500 advertisements and posts spread by Russian trolls before and after the 2016 U.S. election. Below is a look at 10 of the most shocking examples that stood out from Congress's reveal.

House Intelligence Committee

Many posts pushed the narrative that Hillary Clinton would confiscate guns if she were elected President.

House Intelligence Committee

This graphic meme painted cops as KKK members attacking a young black child.

House Intelligence Committee

Only "sissies" and other undesirables wouldn't support Donald Trump, many of the memes said.

House Intelligence Committee

President Obama was a "pawn" and "traitor" in the hands of "Arabian Sheikhs," said one 2016 ad.

Russian trolls also used Instagram to spread sponsored political memes.

House Intelligence Committee

The "Blacktivist" page routinely shared memes on Colin Kaepernick and other football players kneeling during the national anthem.

House Intelligence Committee

"Heart of Texas" routinely posted on "Killary Rotten Clinton," and threatened to secede from the union if she won the election.

House Intelligence Committee

The "Being Patriotic" page labeled ex-cons as "Obama voters."

House Intelligence Committee

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Congress just released 3,500 posts touching on a myriad of topics

The U.S. House Intelligence Committee on Thursday released more than 3,500 advertisements and posts spread by Russian trolls before and after the 2016 U.S. election. Below is a look at 10 of the most shocking examples that stood out from Congress's reveal.